Motorized weighing conveyor

Abstract

There is disclosed a commodity transport conveyor mounted on a weighing device; the conveyor being powered by a drive roller housing an electric motor. The stator of the motor is fixed to the conveyor frame and the rotor of the motor drives the roller and is in dynamic balance therewith.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a commodity weighing conveyor system which includes a support base, a weight-sensing device on said support base, a frame carried by said weight-sensing device and an endless conveyor belt mounted on said frame, the improvement comprising means for substantially eliminating weighing errors incidental to operation of said conveyor belt wherein: said frame includes upstanding side walls, a first roller journalled between said side walls and a drive roller in spaced parallelism to said first roller, said conveyor belt being trained over said rollers, said drive roller including a cylindrical shell closed at one end by an end bell having a transverse wall spaced from said one end of the shell to define and end pocket therewith, said transverse wall having a centrally disposed hub provided with a bore opening into said pocket and having at least one keyway, an electric motor disposed within said pocket and including a stator and a rotor, said stator having a hollow support post extending axially of said shell and through one of said upstanding side walls and secured thereto whereby to fix said stator to said frame, said rotor having an axially extending drive shaft fixed thereto and projecting into said bore in keyed relation thereto whereby to rotatably drive said end bell directly and in unison with said rotor, and electrical connector means projecting through said hollow support post for energizing said motor.   
     
     
       2. In the system as defined in claim 1 wherein said conveyor belt is trained directly over said rollers so that generally parallel upper and lower conveyor belt flights are defined, and including means for adjusting said first roller relative to said drive roller so as to tension said belt.